07 August 2024 , 20:50
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A family had to barricade themselves inside a garage shop in Hull on Saturday when rioters charged at them, before setting cars and tyres on fire then looting city centre shops
A family with a 12-year-old girl with autism were trapped inside a garage shop as violent thugs charged toward them and began setting fires during Hull’s riots.
Dad Hama was with his wife and son, 16, and young daughter at a tyre shop on Saturday, when they were forced to barricade themselves inside for safety. The shutters were brought down as around 100 yobs, who had earlier been at a nearby mosque, began running towards them.
The father, who did not want to give his last name, had been with his son and two customers when their terrifying ordeal occurred, leaving his young daughter extremely frightened.
Hull saw one of the UK’s most disgraceful episodes of violence on Saturday as riots erupted across the country. At least 33 people, including teenagers as young as 15, have been arrested since the violence which saw shops in the city centre looted and one man of Asian heritage dragged from a car in sheer terror.
Hama had been at the shop just around the corner from where the rioters gathered just before 5pm. "I was with two customers and my son and I told them: ’Get inside’," he told Hull Live.
"I put the shutter down quickly and you can see them come running [in the CCTV]. They started smashing cars and tried to get inside." Footage then shows the thugs smashing cars and looting items from inside vehicles.
Vehicles and piles of tyres from outside the garage were also torched, emitting choking black smoke. "We were terrified," Hama added. "I had a small child inside as well. All of us were stuck inside.
"They [the mob] tried to open the shutter but could not because I locked it from inside. I was trying to escape but it wasn’t so easy because I have a disabled child and her mum, they could not climb so easily. I had to break the fence and climb over the wall."
He added: "My child is 12 years old and is autistic and she was terrified. My son is 16 and he was very worried as well. All of the smoke from the fires was coming inside and we could not breathe."
Hama said it was "not fair" that local business owners who use the car park had their cars destroyed. He said: "People are parked here because they have shops around the corner. They pay for the parking as well."
Rioters flocked to the city centre leaving people terrified and forcing shops to close (
Image: HullLive/MEN)
Several people have been charged over Saturday’s scenes of destruction, including those seen apparently looting high street shops. Lush, ShoeZone and Greggs were among the businesses smashed and raided by thugs helping themselves to stock.
Humberside Police announced on Wednesday it had made several further arrests. Three youths aged 15, 16 and 17, as well as a 20-year-old man were all arrested on suspicions of violent disorder. A 35-year-old man, Christopher Douglas, was also charged with violent disorder and possession of class B drugs. He was remanded into custody ahead of appearing before magistrates on Thursday.